NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Lineup Strategy for NBA Finals Game 3

Written by

Jeff Edgerton

Updated on June 11, 2025 4:19PM EST

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The NBA Finals move on to Game 3, and the series is tied up as the action moves to Indianapolis. Can the home crowd inspire the presumptive underdog? Action tips off tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET, and I've provided my favorite FanDuel single-game format selections below.

Top FanDuel Picks for NBA Finals Game 3 Lineup Strategy

Before we begin, let's take a look at the winning lineup from one of FanDuel's most popular multi-entry tournaments.

MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 97.5

UTIL Tyrese Haliburton 36.6

UTIL Pascal Siakam 33.4

UTIL Andrew Nembhard 29.8

UTIL T.J. McConnell 29.6

UTIL Cason Wallace 18.1

Blowout risk is always a variable to consider, and this year's NBA finals are no different. We can use Andrew Nembhard as an example. Nembhard scored his last point midway through the third quarter and saw only four minutes in the fourth quarter. Although he made the winning lineup in this case, his drop-off is an example of how the margin of victory (or defeat) can wreak havoc on the usage of players who would have seen more action (and a higher total) in a closer game. Several lineups were able to cash without Haliburton's input, as Jalen Williams' 33.5 FDFPs offered a bit of salary relief. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander proved to be the right call for a second time in Game 2, and I see no reason to deviate from that approach.

Maximizing Value: NBA DFS Picks for FanDuel Success

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (MVP $25,500, UTIL $17,000)

Jalen Williams (MVP $18,000), UTIL $12,000)

Pascal Siakam (MVP $16,200, UTIL $10,800)

While SGA remains our top selection for the MVP, Tyrese Haliburton's salary has lowered to a more palatable level, with his depressed totals as the likely culprit. While there's certainly merit to considering Haliburton, the first two games of this series have allowed Williams and Siakam to post better totals at a discount, which is one reason why he'll continue to be a fade for me. Williams and Siakam will be the most popular pivots for SGA, and we'll discuss some alternate paths at the conclusion of the article.

Key Players to Consider for NBA Finals Game 3 on FanDuel

Chet Holmgren ($8,600)

Aaron Nesmith ($4,600)

Andrew Nembhard ($5,800)

Alex Caruso ($5,000)

Obi Toppin ($2,600)

T.J. McConnell ($2,400)

I'm going to roll with an SGA/Williams/Siakam build to begin with, so our remaining three utility candidates will need to fit within an average of $3,900 per player. Toppin and McConnell are my preferred picks to help raise the average salary back up to a more appealing level. Their inclusion allows for an appealing $8,350 for the remaining player. I'm not sure we need that much salary space, however. Myles Turner ($7,000) is really the only player you can grab before a significant gap. Caruso and Nembhard are tops on my wish list, but I can easily get Nesmith involved to fill out the remaining three. The resulting build would look like this:

SGA (MVP)/Williams/Siakam/Nembhard/Nesmith/Mathurin

As for Holmgren, you're only using him if you favor moving off of Siakam or Williams. Since a Williams/Holmgren combo has a negative correlation, Siakam would be the sensible player to keep. Taking him would put Turner back into consideration, but I don't feel that the big man is necessary to find success. The first two games have demonstrated the significant gaps in the player pool, and decreasing your elites won't move the needle enough.

Building a Winning FanDuel Lineup for NBA Finals Game 3

There are always people who want to go against the grain and flip the script. If I'm firing multiple lineups, I will almost always take an unpopular choice at the MVP slot. It's important to note that when using this strategy with our player pool, you're making moves to get Haliburton involved. He's the only elite producer we are excluding from our standard builds. You have to be a believer in a value-beating number, which would buck his trend of underperforming relative to his salary in this series. If we want to take this route, taking a higher MVP pick like Siakam or Williams won't get you there. Holmgren could fit the bill, though. His $12,900 1.5x salary adjustment would allow for SGA and Williams to join in, resulting in the following build:

Holmgren (MVP)/SGA/Williams/Haliburton/McConnell/Toppin

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.